"I'm going to change. I'll let you know when Ryzel and I are on our way," Ryza texted back.
"But just in case we don't make it in time, tell me which club that witch is heading to. But I'm guessing Olympus Club...that's where she usually goes."
A small smile crept onto Ciena's lips as she read the message.
For once, she didn't feel completely alone.
Even if Ryza's loyalty was mostly fueled by their shared hatred of Ceres, at least she had someone on her side.
"Okay. Thank you." She quickly typed back.
But before she could put her phone down...
"Who are you texting?"
Ciena nearly jumped in surprise.
She hadn't even noticed that Ceres and Zeus had already returned to the table.
Her fingers tightened around her phone as she slowly looked up straight into Ceres's amused golden eyes.
Ciena swallowed, trying to compose herself.
"Ryza," she answered truthfully.
At that, Zeus's expression hardened.
Though he said nothing, his eyes narrowed slightly, a glint of displeasure flashing across them.
Clearly, he had already heard about what happened earlier...about the public slap exchanged between Ceres and his cousin, Ryza.
For a moment, Ceres remained silent, watching her like a cat watching a mouse.
Then, her lips curved into a slow, knowing smirk.
"And what exactly are you two talking about?" she asked, her tone casual, as if she were genuinely curious.
Ciena forced herself to stay neutral.
"She was just asking what I was doing."
The second those words left her mouth, Ceres smiled.
Not just any smile, but that smile.
The kind that sent alarm bells ringing in Ciena's head.
The kind that promised nothing but trouble.
Ceres glanced at the expensive watch wrapped around her wrist, then turned toward Zeus.
"It's ten already. Let's go to the club."
Zeus didn't even hesitate.
"Okay," he murmured smoothly, his tone laced with affection.
And just when Ciena thought she would finally be ignored again...
"You know what, sis?"
Ceres's gaze flicked toward her, her golden eyes glinting with mischief.
"Why don't you invite Ryza to the club?"
Ciena stiffened.
Ceres's smirk deepened.
"Tell her we're going to Olympus."
She tilted her head slightly, feigning innocence.
"Zeus's friends will be there too."
Ciena hesitated for a second but then nodded.
After all, that was going to happen anyway.
It wasn't like Ryza needed an invitation...she was already on her way.
But the fact that Ceres wanted her there…
That meant something was about to happen.
And Ciena had no doubt, it wasn't going to be good.
Before she could dwell on it, Ceres reached into her designer handbag and pulled out her phone, pressing a number without hesitation.
"Dee, where are you?"
Her voice was light, and playful as she spoke to Diana on the other end of the line.
"We're heading to Olympus now."
She paused, listening to Diana's reply.
"Okay, see you there. Ciao."
As Ceres hung up, a smirk curled on her lips.
Her golden eyes twinkled with amusement, excitement, and something far more dangerous.
This is going to be fun.
......
The Olympus Club was not just any ordinary club.
It was the club.
A place where only the world's most influential, wealthy, and powerful could step foot.
Unlike regular nightclubs where anyone with cash could buy their way in, Olympus had a strict entry requirement.
Only self-made billionaires were allowed to become members...one had to own a business and have a personal net worth of no less than a billion dollars.
And most importantly...inheritance didn't count.
Your parents' wealth was irrelevant.
If you hadn't built your own empire, you weren't worthy of Olympus.
Of course, members could bring guests, but they bore full responsibility for their invitees.
If a guest caused trouble, crossed the wrong person, or stepped out of line, the member who invited them would pay the price.
The club itself?
It exuded exclusivity and luxury.
Though it had the elements of a typical nightclub...neon lights, a packed dance floor, and heart-thumping music...everything about Olympus was on a different level.
It was sophisticated, extravagant, and untouchable.
Here, billion-dollar deals were made over glasses of the rarest whiskey, political alliances were forged between dances, and the world's most powerful individuals brushed shoulders in casual conversation.
And in this world, Zeus Falcon was its king.
The moment they stepped inside, they were greeted instantly.
"Hey, Zeus!"
A smooth, confident voice called out.
Xavier Beaumont.
Dressed in a tailored dark suit with an open-collared silk shirt, Xavier exuded the effortless charm of a man who had never heard the word 'no' in his life.
"Ceres."
With a cocky grin, he took Ceres's hand and lifted it to his lips, pressing a light kiss against her skin before throwing her a playful wink.
Ceres, unimpressed, raised a perfectly arched brow before rolling her eyes.
Before Xavier could enjoy his small victory, however, the air around them shifted dangerously.
Xavier felt the weight of a sharp, burning glare, and when he looked up, Zeus was staring at him like he was ready to break his hands.
Shit.
Coughing, Xavier immediately let go of Ceres's hand and took a step back, laughing lightly.
"Relax, Falcon," he smirked, but there was an unmistakable hint of caution in his tone.
Then, his eyes flickered past Ceres to the unfamiliar woman standing slightly behind her.
"And you are?"
Ceres's lips curled into a playful, knowing smile.
"This is my sister, Ciena," she introduced smoothly.
Xavier paused.
For a moment, his focus on Ceres wavered...a rare occurrence.
There was something about her smile that always disarmed people, and Xavier wasn't immune to it.
It was no surprise that Zeus had fallen head over heels for this woman.
'Hell, even I would fall for her,' he thought, but only if Zeus didn't guard her like a damn dragon hoarding treasure.
A loud throat-clearing noise snapped him back to reality.
Xavier glanced at Zeus, who was watching him with a look that clearly said, "Focus, dumbass."
"Right, right."
Xavier turned back to Ciena, offering his signature, perfectly charming smile.
"I think this is the first time we're being introduced."
He extended a hand.
"Xavier Beaumont."
Ciena hesitated for a split second before taking it.
"Ciena Fuentes."
Xavier's eyes gleamed knowingly.
"Ah."
His smirk deepened.
"You're Ryzel's new fiancée."
Before Ciena could respond, a group of three more men approached them.
Damien Crowne.
Gideon Mercer.
Nikolai Ashford.
They were all Zeus's friends.
Although they weren't as powerful as him, they were still forces to be reckoned with in the business world, each running empires of their own despite their young age.
But despite their achievements, they all shared one common trait.
The moment they saw Ceres, their focus zeroed in on her.
Their gazes held clear admiration, a mix of desire and respect.
And Ciena was nothing but an afterthought.
Even when they acknowledged her presence, their greetings were barely there, their attention immediately returning to Ceres.
It was infuriating.
But not surprising.
And Ciena felt her patience thinning the longer she stood there, out of place, unwanted.
Ceres, sensing their gazes, simply tilted her head.
"Are we just going to stand here?" she asked, her tone mocking.
The men quickly snapped out of their stunned silence, shaking their heads.
"Let's go, love," Zeus murmured, placing a possessive hand on Ceres's waist as he guided her toward a private table.
Ciena followed reluctantly, already feeling the weight of the night dragging on her shoulders.
As they reached their table, she noticed a group of gorgeous women already seated there.
They were clearly guests of Zeus's friends, their outfits minimal, their intentions obvious.
Zeus barely spared them a glance as he led Ceres to a seat, ensuring that she was comfortably seated before taking his place beside her.
Then, his gaze swept across the table, scanning the room before frowning slightly.
"Where's Caspian?" he asked.
At the mention of Zeus's best friend, Caspian Sinclair, Nikolai leaned back in his seat.
"He left to pick up D," Nikolai replied, his tone lazy as he slung an arm around the two women seated beside him.
They clung to him, their dresses short enough to be mistaken for lingerie, but Nikolai didn't seem to mind.
"Here, sis."
Ceres casually slid the menu across the table toward Ciena, her lips curled into a small smirk.
"Order whatever you want."
Ciena hesitated before reaching for the menu, her fingers slightly trembling as she flipped through the pages.
Her stomach tightened the moment she saw the list.
There were no prices indicated.
And worse, some of the names were so foreign that she didn't even know how to pronounce them.
She felt a wave of discomfort settle over her.
Ceres, who had been watching her closely, let out a silent chuckle.
She saw it all.
The way Ciena's brows slightly furrowed in uncertainty, the subtle quiver in her fingers as she held the menu.
Her insecurity was so obvious, it was pathetic.
By now, Ciena should have learned how insignificant she is.
They may share the same mother, but that was where their connection ended.
They were worlds apart.
This was Ceres's world...a world of power, wealth, and influence.
And no matter how hard Ciena tried, she would never belong here.
Not even if she married Ryzel.
She would always be a charity case. Someone her father tolerated only because of their mother.
She was nothing more than an inconvenience in their perfect world.
And Ceres would make sure she never forgot it.
Across the table, Ceres suddenly caught Gideon's gaze.
But he wasn't looking at her.
He was looking at Ciena.
His expression was different.
Unlike the way he looked at Ceres, with admiration and desire.
The way he looked at Ciena was far less romantic.
It was predatory.
Like a man who had just spotted a new toy, one he wanted to play with for a while before discarding it.
Ceres's smirk deepened.
How interesting.
She casually leaned toward the table, tilting her head as she sweetly called out.
"Gideon."
Her voice was syrupy smooth, a tone that instantly commanded attention despite the loud music surrounding them.
The man in question immediately turned to her, his lips curling into a lazy smirk.
Despite the club's lively atmosphere, they could hear each other perfectly.
"I heard you're opening a new art museum?" Ceres asked, her tone light as if making casual conversation.
Gideon chuckled, nodding.
"Yeah. I'll send you an invite to the grand opening, of course," he said smoothly.
Then, with a confident grin, he added, "And I'll gift you any painting you like. No matter how much it costs."
Ceres was about to reply when a low, dangerous voice cut through the conversation.
"No need." Zeus's sharp glare flickered toward his friend, his jaw tightening ever so slightly. "I'll pay for it."
Gideon barely held back a laugh, shaking his head.
He knew better than to test Zeus's patience when it came to Ceres.
But he had to admit, watching Zeus's possessiveness slip through the cracks was always amusing.
After all, Zeus was the type to buy the entire art museum just to keep another man from giving Ceres a gift.
But before anyone could comment further, Ceres's golden eyes gleamed with mischief.
She took a slow sip of her drink, then casually turned to Gideon with a thoughtful expression.
"You know…" she began, her voice silky smooth, "Ciena likes to paint."
Ciena's entire body stiffened.
"Maybe you can help her," Ceres continued, tilting her head slightly. "So she can finally share her masterpieces with the public."
The table fell silent for a second.
Ciena's eyes widened in shock.
She looked at Ceres, searching for any sign of genuine encouragement, but she found none.
Ceres was enjoying this.
She was playing with her.
Ciena loved painting.
Ever since she was a child, art has been her passion. Her dream was to one day have her own art exhibit.
But in the seven years she had lived under the Monteverde name, she had learned one painful truth, her art wasn't for people like them.
Her paintings, the ones she had poured her heart into, could never compete with the priceless masterpieces that the wealthy adored.
The works of artists that billionaires fought over.
Compared to them, her paintings were worthless.
And Ceres knew it.
Which meant, she was doing this to humiliate her.
Ciena could feel the way Gideon was now staring at her.
She wasn't sure if it was mockery or amusement, but either way, she felt like she was being put on display.
She swallowed hard.
"Ceres, I..."
Before she could say anything, Gideon leaned forward, resting an elbow on the table.
"You paint?" he asked, his tone suddenly intrigued.
Ciena hesitated.
"Y-yeah," she said carefully.
A slow, unreadable smirk stretched across Gideon's lips.
"Interesting." He turned to Ceres, amusement dancing in his eyes. "I'll have to see her work then, won't I?"
Ceres simply smiled.
"Oh, I'm sure she'd love that."